China urges US to dialogue with Iran

China on Monday urged the United States not to abuse its force as tensions escalated in the Middle East after a US drone strike killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani. "Power politics is unpopular and unsustainable. The risky military behavior of the United States goes against the basic norms governing international relations, as well as aggravating the tensions of the regional situation," Geng Shuang, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said at a regular press conference in Beijing. It is of vital importance to ensure peace and stability in the Middle East, Geng said, adding that China is highly concerned about the situation in the region. "We urge all relevant parties to show restraint, avoid escalation, return to the track of dialogue and consultation as soon as possible to cool down tensions," he said. When asked about Iran taking the fifth and last step to fully end commitment to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Sunday, Geng said that Iran has exercised restraint although it was forced to end its commitment due to external factors. "Iran has clearly expressed its political willingness to comprehensively and effectively implement the 2015 nuclear deal and does not break obligations as stipulated by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons," he said. According to Geng, Washington withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal regardless of international law and obligations, imposed extreme pressure on Iran and obstructed other parties to implement the deal. "This is the root cause of the Iran nuclear tensions and it should also be the basic starting point for all relevant parties to deal with the Iran nuclear issue in an objective and fair way," he added.